By Jim Huddleston, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 7, 2012

What's hot: With the dramatic decline in water temperature over the past week, inshore species will seek out warmer pockets of water on cooler mornings. Speckled trout, redfish and sheepshead will be most tolerant of temperatures in the mid 50s and can be caught with patience. When trying to locate game fish among the shallows, key in on southern facing shorelines with higher tree lines. These flats will radiate heat and hold larger amounts of fish. More often, the water will be cleaner as it will be protected from strong north winds.

Tips: When fishing our coastline after a front, slow everything down. Free-lining shrimp with a small split shot above the hook always works best. This method keeps the offering on the bottom longer — where the fish want to feed. With artificials, crawl the lure along the sandy pockets, where it creates mud puffs and draws attention. Bucktails, plastic worms and grub tails imitate the smaller meals trout and reds want. By keeping the rod tip high and using a jighead of one-eighth ounce, these lures can be worked very slowly to cover more area.

Jim Huddleston charters out of Tampa, Palm Harbor and Clearwater and can be reached at (727) 439-9017 and at jim@captainhud.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 7, 2012

About a month ago coach Guy Boucher described the Lightning's season as one of "adversity, adversity, adversity," and it hasn't gotten much better. Tampa Bay is 17-20-3 and 13th in the 15-team Eastern Conference. Injuries to key players, including defensemen Mattias Ohlund and Victor Hedman have hurt, and a brutal schedule (24 of the first 40 games on the road) has been challenging. Bottom line, though, the Lightning — with a leaky defense, suspect goaltending, a head-scratching power play and an inability to win on the road — has only itself to blame for a first half that has it being closer to the bottom of the East than a playoff spot. But, hey, there's always Steven Stamkos.

MVP Steven Stamkos

The 21-year-old center has a league-best 28 goals and is on pace for 59, which would beat his 51 that tied for the 2009-10 league lead. His 23 even-strength goals also are tops, and his 45 points were fifth entering Saturday. His five winning goals are tied for the team lead. One quibble: his 45.6 faceoff winning percentage.

Biggest disappointment Dwayne Roloson

The 42-year-old goaltender, the league's oldest player, signed a one-year, $3 million deal to be the No. 1, but he has started just three of the team's past 15 games and has fewer games (20) than "backup" Mathieu Garon (28). Roloson was 6-9-1 with a 3.76 goals-against average that entered Saturday last among goalies with at least 10 games and an .881 save percentage that was next to last.

Disappearing acts

Right wing Teddy Purcell has two goals in his past 26 games. … Before wing Ryan Shannon was sidelined by injury, he was a bust, with two goals, seven points in 25 games. … Marc-Andre Bergeron, who once led all league defensemen in scoring, has one goal, zero assists in his past 11 games. … Center Vinny Lecavalier has four goals in his past six games, but he had just one goal in his previous 13.

Biggest loss Mike Lundin

The defenseman turned down more money from the Lightning than he eventually got from the Wild in an offseason free agent deal, and the parting disappointed both sides. His steadiness, sound positional play and ability to handle the league's top scorers would be a godsend for a defensive unit struggling with injuries and inconsistency.

Nicest surprise

No one comes to mind.

Road kill

The Lightning's 18 road losses are only two fewer than all of last season. Compare that to how well the team has played at home.

Road Home

Record 6-15-3 11-5-0

GF-GA 53-9156-45

GF-GA (1st per.) 16-33 13-11

Power play % 8.5* 21.8**

* last in league entering Saturday

** fourth in league entering Saturday

Most ridiculous stat

1-for-34 Streak for the road power play; it entered Saturday the worst in the league.

Number of the day

4 Games in which Tampa Bay has allowed seven goals, most in the league.

Game to remember

Lightning 3, Rangers 2 (SO)

After his errant backhand during the morning skate fractured the face of teammate Marty St. Louis, Dominic Moore redeemed himself with a shorthanded goal on a backhand to tie the score with 1:57 left in the third period. His shootout goal, and fine goaltending by Mathieu Garon, gave Tampa Bay the win Dec. 8 at Madison Square Garden.

Game to forget

Islanders 5, Lightning 1

Tampa Bay was outshot 34-24 and dominated Dec. 6 at the Nassau Coliseum by the league's lowest-scoring team. Coach Guy Boucher blamed a travel schedule that had the Lightning getting to New York at 3 a.m. after a game the night before in Ottawa. But even he said the effort was "horrible" and "disgusting."

Most underrated Marty St. Louis

He has been overshadowed by Stamkos, but the right wing, 36, just keeps going. He has 10 goals and 31 points in 35 games. He had a goal and nine points in his first six games after missing five with facial fractures from being hit by a puck Dec. 8. He recently got his 800th point and needs 11 games for 900.

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 7, 2012

TAMPA — The Bucs are in the midst of what likely will be a sizable transformation.

Already, the entire coaching staff has been fired. Soon, they will wrap up the search for a replacement to Raheem Morris, and that individual — along with general manager Mark Dominik — will begin talking about reshaping the current roster.

One thing we know is it won't look the same when the 2012 season gets under way.

"Naturally, there are going to be changes," Pro Bowl guard Davin Joseph said.

Whoever is hired will leave his fingerprints on the team. Is he an offensive-minded coach? What kind of defensive system does he prefer? The roster will be tweaked and pruned accordingly.

Here, then, is our attempt to preview some of the decisions the Bucs' new coaching staff — whenever it gets here — will make on the current players.

The following assumes there will be significant roster turnover, which you would expect under any new head coach, and some forays into free agency (certainly more than we've seen over the past few seasons).

"We're open to all changes," co-chairman Joel Glazer said last week. "The goal is to put a winner on the field."

Quarterbacks

Back for more

Josh Freeman: Took a step back but has elite potential.

On the bubble

Rudy Carpenter: Comes back only as a third-stringer.

Doesn't make the cut

Josh Johnson: A free agent hoping for a starting job.

Running backs

Back for more

LeGarrette Blount: One-dimensional but talented back.

On the bubble

Earnest Graham: Turns 32 on Jan. 15 and is coming off a torn Achilles'.

Mossis Madu: Appears to have significant upside.

Erik Lorig: What is the role of a fullback in the new offense?

Doesn't make the cut

Kregg Lumpkin: Didn't adequately fill role of third-down back

Receivers

Back for more

Mike Williams: Coming off an inconsistent season.

Arrelious Benn: Slowed by a knee injury.

Dezmon Briscoe: Came on late.

Preston Parker: Big third-down target.

On the bubble

Sammie Stroughter: Caught the injury bug.

Doesn't make the cut

Micheal Spurlock: Scarcely used in 2011.

Raymond Webber: A long shot after season-long hamstring injury.

Tight ends

Back for more

Kellen Winslow: Not his best season but had 75 catches.

Luke Stocker: Had a disappointing rookie season.

Doesn't make the cut

Zack Pianalto: Didn't contribute on offense.

Defensive line

Back for more

Da'Quan Bowers: Big part of the future.

Adrian Clayborn: Rookie registered 71/2 sacks.

Gerald McCoy: Can he stay healthy?

Brian Price: Showed flashes between injuries.

On the bubble

Michael Bennett: Intriguing restricted free agent.

Roy Miller: Good for depth but struggled as a starter.

Tim Crowder: Free agent is a solid backup.

Doesn't make the cut

Frank Okam: Didn't take advantage of opportunities.

Jovan Haye: Was a stopgap solution.

Albert Haynesworth: Definitely not back at $6 million.

John McCargo: Wasn't a difference-maker.

Daniel Te'o-Nesheim: Played sparingly.

Nick Reed: A late addition for depth.

E.J. Wilson: Missed season with torn Achilles'.

George Johnson: Had impressive preseason before injury.

Offensive line

Back for more

Donald Penn: Weight issues; didn't finish 2011 strong.

Davin Joseph: Made Pro bowl; star of the unit.

Jeremy Trueblood: One year left on a two-year deal.

Ted Larsen: Could challenge for a starting job.

On the bubble

Jeremy Zuttah: Talented and versatile but a free agent.

Jeff Faine: Salary balloons to more than $6 million.

Derek Hardman: Good backup; might have competition.

Doesn't make the cut

James Lee: Free agent; played poorly.

Demar Dotson: Not ready to compete for a starting job.

Linebackers

Back for more

Mason Foster: Talented but lots to learn.

Quincy Black: Struggled, but 2012 salary is guaranteed.

Dekoda Watson: Edge rusher must expand his game.

On the bubble

Geno Hayes: Free agent was benched in two games.

Adam Hayward: Depends on what additions are made.

Doesn't make the cut

Jacob Cutrera: Journeyman signed for depth.

Defensive backs

Back for more

Cody Grimm: Solid tackler coming off a knee injury.

Tanard Jackson: Needs to bounce back.

On the bubble

Ronde Barber: Considering retirement.

Myron Lewis: 2010 third-round pick underperformed.

Anthony Gaitor: Good for depth.

E.J. Biggers: Struggled in man-to-man coverage.

Ahmad Black: Young, inexpensive prospect.

Elbert Mack: Undersized but a solid backup.

Larry Asante: Needs a strong offseason.

Corey Lynch: Hits free agency.

Devin Holland: Special teams ace missed most of the season with a back injury.

Doesn't make the cut

Aqib Talib: Facing a trial and scrutiny of new coach.

Sean Jones: After strong camp, had a poor season.

Specialists

Back for more

Michael Koenen (punter): Solid first year of six-year deal.

On the bubble

Connor Barth (kicker): Career year; entering free agency.

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — John Elway wants to see more aggression from Tim Tebow. John Fox wants to see more accuracy. They trust he can deliver on both today against the Steelers.

Having won the AFC West by default, the former Florida quarterback heads into his first playoff game on the first three-game losing streak of his football career.

"The three losses haven't shaken my confidence," Tebow said.

The results suggest otherwise.

After watching him pile up comeback after comeback, opponents seem to have solved the second-year player, hemming him in the pocket and daring him to beat them with his erratic left arm.

After turning the ball over four times at Buffalo, Tebow looked tentative in losing 7-3 to Kansas City in the regular-season finale. He held the ball, passing up open receivers or taking sacks.

On Wednesday, Tebow agreed with Elway, the team president, about being more aggressive.

"I think especially the more you get into tighter games, playoff games," he said. "You've also got to be smart. But you've got to … pull the trigger at times."

Fox, Denver's coach, said the staff must call safer, shorter passes early to build Tebow's confidence.

"We have to put him in position where he can succeed," Fox said. "We'll try to give him some better pass plays to operate."

Defenses not nearly as stout as Pittsburgh's, ranked No. 1 in the league, have fared well against Tebow and the read-option offense. During the skid, Tebow is 30-of-73 passing for an average of 146 yards with one touchdown, four interceptions and 10 sacks.

He has rushed for just 25 yards a game the past two weeks after averaging 63 before and has lost a fumble in each of his past five games.

"He's probably going through what a lot of newly starting quarterbacks go through in that you get enough looks on people on film, then you get ideas about … how you can potentially play him," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "I think people are gathering more information about him like you would do anybody."

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 7, 2012

Falcons (10-6) at Giants (9-7)

Time: 1 TV/radio: Ch. 13; 1010-AM Line/OU: Giants by 3; 47½

Coaches: Falcons — Mike Smith (42-21); Giants — Tom Coughlin (74-54, 142-114 overall)

The Falcons win if …

They attack the Giants' biggest weakness, their defense. The Falcons could dominate time of possession, leaving New York's offense on the sideline.

The Giants win if …

The Falcons secondary can't keep up with the Giants' 1,000-yard receivers, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks.

Matchup to watch

The Falcons want to isolate WR Julio Jones, left, on CB Aaron Ross or CB Corey Webster. Whoever wins will greatly influence the outcome.

Our take

If the Giants can get a pass rush, which they certainly are capable of, we believe Atlanta QB Matt Ryan has a tougher time than Eli Manning, and the Giants win.

Prediction | Giants 28, Falcons 24

Steelers (12-4) at Broncos (8-8)

Time: 4:30 TV/radio: Ch. 10; 1010-AM Line/OU: Steelers by 8½; 33½

Coaches: Steelers — Mike Tomlin (54-25); Broncos — John Fox (8-8, 81-79 overall)

The Steelers win if …

They can contain Denver's potent, top-ranked rushing attack and make QB Tim Tebow have to win with his arm against a ferocious defense.

The Broncos win if …

They can exploit Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's sore left ankle with relentless pursuit from stellar rookie LB Von Miller and others.

Matchup to watch

Denver Pro Bowl LT Ryan Clady, far left, has a significant challenge with LB James Harrison lining up on the edge and aiming for Tebow.

Our take

Denver is going to struggle to score. So even with their significant injuries, we see the Steelers winning a low-scoring affair.

Prediction | Steelers 20, Broncos 13

Stat pack

passing yards

rushing yards

passing yards allowed

rushing yards allowed

Falcons

Giants

262.0 yards

295.9 yards

114.6 yards

89.2 yards

97 yards

121.2 yards

236.6 yards

255.1 yards

offensive rankings: Falcons — 10th; Giants — 8th

defensive rankings: Falcons — 12th; Giants — 27th

points scored: Falcons — 25.1 (7th); Giants — 24.6 (9th)

points allowed: Falcons — 21.9 (18th); Giants — 25.0 (25th)

passing yards

passing yards allowed

rushing yards allowed

253.4 yards

152.1 yards

99.8 yards

126.3 yards

171.9 yards

231.5 yards

offensive rankings: Steelers — 12th; Broncos — 23rd

defensive rankings: Steelers — 1st; Broncos — 20th

points scored: Steelers — 20.3 (22nd); Broncos — 19.3 (25th)

points allowed: Steelers — 14.2 (1st); Broncos — 24.4 (24th)

Stat pack

Steelers

Broncos

rushing yards

118.9 yards

164.5 yards

Stephen F. Holder, Times staff writer

By Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, January 7, 2012

NEW ORLEANS

Another year, another playoff, and there they go. The Saints are off and running again.

Try to keep up, won't you?

The rest of the NFL, too.

They are fast and they are bold and they are dangerous, and if another team wants to run with them, it's going to need a spare set of cleats. The Saints play football the way a track team runs relays, the way a basketball team runs the fastbreak. They are breathless and relentless, and they never run a play in which the end zone seems too far away to consider.

After Saturday night, it is possible they are racing toward another Super Bowl.

From the looks of it, they are trying to get there by Tuesday.

These are the Saints, a team in a constant hurry, a team that seems convinced that it can win with an offense with afterburners and a defense that is an afterthought. Around New Orleans, the game plan always seems to be to race to the end zone and see who gets there the most often.

Saturday night, that was enough. The Saints scored plenty in a 45-28 win, and they gained more than 600 yards. Who knows how bad it might have been if New Orleans hadn't gotten off to a slow start? Regardless, there was nothing wrong with the construction of the Saints against the Lions.

As the playoffs proceed, we'll see.

As good as the Saints offense is, there is something unsettling about the New Orleans defense. It gives up a lot of plays, a lot of yards, a lot of points. It's like a boxer who doesn't mind swapping punches. One slip, and the contest ends as he is tasting his own blood.

Much of that, it should be said, seems to be the trend in the NFL. Time was, a defense wanted to beat its opponent up. It wanted to turn the ground into quicksand and the air into tear gas. It wanted to smother running backs and batter quarterbacks. You know, like the old Bears, or the old Ravens, or the old Bucs.

These days, the teams with the really good quarterbacks seem content to steal a possession or two. That's enough. Who cares how many yards an opponent gains if you can gain more? Who cares if the other team scores a little as long as you can score a lot? Detroit, for instance, had a terrific game, and it lost by 17.

Besides, the Saints aren't the only team playing offense first. This year, no team gave up more yardage than the Packers. The Patriots were next-to-last. The Saints were 24th. In all, half of the teams in this year's playoffs were ranked 20th or lower.

Ah, but most of the teams can light it up. The Saints, too.

Against Detroit, Brees threw for 466 yards, and it looked as effortless as a seven-on-seven drill. You cannot help but wonder how many points will be scored if the Saints and Packers end up playing for the NFC title, as many expect. Someone might break a scoreboard.

There for a while, before Brees got hot, the Lions looked as if they might get in the way of all that. Quarterback Matthew Stafford was hot early, and the Lions kept finding the gaps in the Saints secondary. When it was 14-7 Detroit in the second quarter, and when you saw Calvin Johnson catching balls all over the field (he finished with 12 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns), you could have sworn you heard Tobin Rote and Joe Schmidt and the boys starting to cheer across the decades.

It has been such a lonely trip across the desert for Detroit. The Lions have only won one playoff game since winning the 1957 NFL championship. They've had 11 shots since then, and they've lost 10, and it didn't matter that players such as Barry Sanders and Charlie Sanders and Lem Barney have worked there. There were always too many bad quarterbacks and too many bad plans and too much Matt Millen for the Lions to succeed.

There is something different about these Lions, something more cohesive, something that has a chance to get even better. But, no, Detroit isn't ready for the Saints yet.

Even with the defensive holes, these Saints can go a long way. Brees has had a terrific season, almost as good as the Packers' Aaron Rodgers, and his weapons look like something out of a Bond movie. This offense plays as if it is ticked that it has to come off the field for the defense.

Ah, but can it stop opponents enough to race to Indianapolis? Can it keep winning games when it gives up four touchdowns?

Maybe. The more you see Brees throw, the more you think … maybe.

Racing for records

The Saints broke, tied or came close to some records Saturday:

Broke

Total yards: 626 (old mark 610, Chargers, vs. Patriots, AFL, 1963)

Tied

Most first downs: 34 (Chargers, vs. Dolphins, OT, 1981)

Came close

Individual passing yards: Drew Brees, 466, second (489, Bernie Kosar, Browns vs. Jets, OT, 1986)

Points in second half: 35, tied for second (Bears, 45 vs. Redskins, 1940)

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Josh McDaniels is going back to the Patriots as offensive coordinator, ESPN.com and the Associated Press reported Saturday.

McDaniels, currently the Rams offensive coordinator, will serve as an assistant under Bill O'Brien for the rest of this season then take over when O'Brien leaves to become Penn State's coach.

McDaniels, 35, was offensive coordinator for the Patriots from 2006-08 before becoming coach of the Broncos in 2009. Denver fired him after starting 2010 3-9 and losing 17 of his last 22 games. He was most noted for trading up and drafting Tim Tebow in 2010 with the 25th overall pick. McDaniels was the only Rams assistant under contract through 2012 when Steve Spagnuolo was fired as coach on Jan. 2.

The Rams scored the fewest points per game this season (12.1), gained the second-fewest yards overall (283.6) and third-fewest yards passing (179.4). And quarterback Sam Bradford struggled with six touchdown passes and six interceptions.

Under McDaniels in 2007, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady set a league record with 50 touchdown passes.

Colts: The front office and Peyton Manning are open to pushing back the date the quarterback is due a roster bonus, NBC reported. His contract calls for $28 million to be paid March 8. Also, ESPN.com reported that owner Jim Irsay is "certain" he will take Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick.

Senior bowl: The staffs of the Redskins and Vikings will coach the Jan. 28 prospects game in Mobile, Ala.

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson coach Brad Brownell is not ready to make too much of his team's blowout victory, no matter how good the Tigers looked against Florida State on Saturday.

Andre Young had 18 points, Milton Jennings had 15 and the Tigers used a 20-0 run in the first half to open ACC play with a 79-59 win.

It took Brownell several games into his coaching debut last season to turn the Tigers (9-6) into the 20-win team that finished fourth in the ACC and reached the NCAA Tournament for a fifth straight season. Clemson has had similar struggles this season, blending six newcomers into a mix where upperclassmen including Young and Jennings have had to assume bigger roles.

See anything similar, coach?

"We're not where we were last year," Brownell said. "We played a very good game (Saturday). We've got a lot more where we've got to do better."

Or at least match the effort they showed in beating FSU (9-6), taking control early and holding the Seminoles' leading scorer, Michael Snaer, to seven points, about half of his 13.6-point average.

Clemson outrebounded FSU 35-34 and had five blocks. Its defense held the Seminoles to 36 percent shooting and forced 16 turnovers. FSU missed 10 straight shots at one point to fall behind 32-10. "That was one of our worst games," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said.

Both teams were looking to make an early ACC statement after erratic nonconference play.

The Seminoles rose to No. 22 in the Associated Press poll off a 5-0 start but fell to Harvard, then defending national champion Connecticut in the Battle4Atlantis in the Bahamas. FSU also lost to Princeton in triple overtime last week.

Hamilton said his players had a good week of practice and were blindsided by their poor effort. "I didn't see that coming," he said.

Times staff, wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

TAMPA — USF gave No. 15 Georgetown a scare, trailing by one with 3:30 to play, but the Hoyas scored the next nine points and pulled out a 66-56 win before 743 at the USF Rec Center.

Junior guard Inga Orekhova, making her Bulls debut, scored a game-high 18 on six 3-pointers. Guard Jasmine Wynne had 17 points. Georgetown star Sugar Rodgers hit one of her first 14 shots and finished with 12 points on 4 of 19 shooting.

The Bulls (9-7, 1-1 Big East) led much of the second half but didn't have any outside shooting besides Orekhova; the rest of the team went 1-for-13 beyond the arc. Georgetown (13-3, 1-1) outrebounded the Bulls 50-37, including 15 offensive rebounds.

BARRY 63, TAMPA 40: The host Buccaneers held the Spartans (7-6, 1-3 Sunshine State) to 27.3 percent shooting.

ROLLINS 72, ECKERD 31: Tera McDaniel had 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting as the host Tars rolled over the Tritons (7-4, 2-2 SSC).

FLA. TECH 97, SAINT LEO 62: The host Panthers shot 53.3 percent (32-of-60) and scored 32 off 22 turnovers by the Lions (6-7, 0-3 SSC).

Top 25

NO. 1 BAYLOR 57, IOWA ST. 45: Brittney Griner had 26 points and her teammates contributed just enough for the visiting Bears (15-0, 2-0 Big 12), who continued the best start in school history but had to work to do it against a feisty Cyclones team that milked the shot clock.

NO. 3 NOTRE DAME 74, NO. 2 UCONN 67, OT: Natalie Novosel sank six free throws in overtime and Skylar Diggins scored 22 for the host Irish (15-1, 3-0), who rallied to snap the Huskies' 57-game Big East winning streak. Connecticut (12-2, 2-1) had beaten Notre Dame 12 straight times before losing in the national semifinals in April.

NO. 4 STANFORD 67, OREGON ST. 60: Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 33 points and 16 rebounds to top 2,000 points and 1,000 boards for her career, and the Cardinal (13-1, 4-0 Pac-12) rallied from a rare halftime deficit to preserve a 71-game home winning streak.

MICHIGAN 73, NO. 8 OHIO ST. 62: Courtney Boylan scored 19 for the host Wolverines, who gave the Buckeyes (15-1, 2-1 Big Ten) their first loss.

NO. 10 RUTGERS 58, CINCINNATI 47: April Sykes had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the host Scarlet Knights (13-2, 2-0 Big East), off to their best start since going 17-2 in 2007-08.

NO. 13 TEXAS TECH 69, MISSOURI 63: Chynna Brown scored 17 for the visiting Raiders (14-0, 2-0 Big 12), off to their best start since 2003-04.

NO. 17 Wis.-GREEN BAY 88, Wis.-MILWAUKEE 53: Julie Wojta had 27 points and a school- and Horizon League-record 12 steals for the visiting Phoenix (13-0, 3-0).

PROVIDENCE 60, NO. 20 DEPAUL 52: Teya Wright had 19 points and 12 rebounds as the host Friars upset the Blue Demons (14-3, 2-1 Big East), down to eight players because of injuries.

MICHIGAN ST. 75, NO. 22 PENN ST. 65: Taylor Alton scored a career-high 20, and the visiting Spartans held off a late rally by the Nittany Lions (11-3, 1-1 Big Ten).

OKLA. ST. 70, NO. 23 TEXAS 51: Liz Donohoe had 13 points and 13 rebounds to help the host Cowgirls upset the Longhorns (10-4, 0-2 Big 12).

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

By Steve Lee, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 7, 2012

TAMPA — You would never know that Tampa Prep already had clinched the annual Headmaster's Challenge the way the boys basketball team came out firing on all cylinders Saturday afternoon against crosstown rival Berkeley Prep.

The Terrapins, who built a 15-point lead in the first quarter, kept a couple of streaks alive with their decisive 69-35 victory. They extended their perfect season start to 16-0, including a 9-0 record on their homecourt. They also gave Joe Fenlon, Hillsborough County's winningest coach, win No. 601 and contributed to a second straight overall Headmaster's Challenge victory.

Tampa Prep won this year's Challenge 13.5-6.5 after the daylong winter sports teams competition that includes boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, and wrestling at the middle school, junior varsity and varsity levels.

Berkeley Prep still leads the all-time Headmaster's Challenge series 5-4, though Tampa Prep has won the overall title the last two years and the boys basketball game the last three.

"Obviously, you want to win your home games," said Fenlon, who was presented the basketball from win No. 600 (72-34 over Seffner Christian on Thursday) during a pregame ceremony. "I think it's important for us to play well at home. I think it was important to play well today."

Helping the school defend the Headmaster's title was equally important to the players.

"It's important to us," said Devontae Morgan, who scored 11, one of three Terps in double figures. "It was probably one of the biggest games of our season."

Added Josh Heath, who had a game-high 16 points, "It's just more exciting, because it's a big rivalry."

Adonis Rwabigwi was the other Tampa Prep player to score in double figures with 12.

The Bucs (10-4), plagued by poor foul shooting (8-for-15), could not keep up with the Terps' fast-paced attack. Tampa Prep led 24-9 after the first quarter. Berkeley Prep did, however, manage 22 points in the second half after being held to just 13 in the first half.

Berkeley Prep got eight points apiece from Craig Bowman, Jake Zwiebel and Justin Gray.

In the girls game, Tampa Prep won 40-26 as Maddie O'Rourke paced the Terps offense with a game-high 15 points.

The daylong challenge of 15 contests concluded with Berkeley Prep's 2-1 win in boys soccer.

Jesuit wrestlers fifth at Springstead Invite

SPRING HILL — Led by Wyatt Roop's run to the finals, Jesuit posted a fifth-place finish at the Springstead Invitational.

Jesuit scored 133 points, well behind winner Springstead's 248. Roop reached the 113-pound title match but was pinned by Wakulla's Zack Malik.

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Florida coach Billy Donovan wants his players to learn that they can't rely on their offense to bail them out of tough road games.

The 13th-ranked Gators had their fewest points this season while allowing Tennessee plenty of shots around the basket in the Volunteers' 67-56 win Saturday in both teams' SEC opener.

"Both teams played hard, but the difference was the defense," Donovan said. "I still think our guys have a long way to go in terms of what they need to learn and how they need to grow, and these experiences hopefully will help us."

Florida, which has lost all four of its true road games this season, went in averaging 85.4 points, best among SEC teams and fifth in the nation. The Vols held the Gators to a season-worst 35.7 percent shooting while hitting 51 percent of their own attempts.

And UF, which entered leading the nation in 3-point shooting, hit just 31.8 percent (7-for-22) against a team that was next-to-last in the SEC at defending the arc.

Josh Richardson hit a 3-pointer 41 seconds into the second half that set the tone for the Vols. Cameron Tatum stole the ball from Erving Walker on the next possession and ran it down the floor for a dunk to give Tennessee a 38-31 lead.

Kenny Boynton hit a 3 for the Gators. Boynton, who entered the game averaging 19.5 points, finished with 13. Erik Murphy also had 13 for Florida (12-4) and Patric Young added 12.

Renaldo Woolridge answered with a layup for UT. Tatum drew a charge by Bradley Beal, and after running a bit of an offensive set, drove to the basket to hit a layup to make it 42-34.

"If we defend a little bit better, I'm not saying we win the game but at least we're probably a little bit more in the game, and we needed to be," Donovan said.

The Vols (8-7) expanded their lead as they hit 12 of 22 shots in the second half while the Gators hit 8 of 27. UT controlled the post in the half and outscored Florida 32-20 in the paint.

Smothered by defenders, Jordan McRae hit a jumper near the basket to give Tennessee a 65-49 lead with 1:57 to go, putting the game out of reach.

"They were making shots," Murphy said. "They were getting a lot of easy baskets, because they were executing their offense really well. You know, we didn't guard as well as we could have. You combine those two together and they are going to score."

After starting every other game this season, Kenny Hall came off the bench to score a season-high 13 for the Vols. The Florida bench was outscored 25-1.

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Barry J. Sanders announced he would sign with Stanford, not his famous father's alma mater, Oklahoma State, after Saturday's All-American Bowl all-star game.

Florida State also was pursuing the running back from Oklahoma City, as was Alabama.

Barry Sanders, the 1988 Heisman Trophy winner, stood near his son and other family members as Barry J. announced his decision on national TV in the fourth quarter.

"I think everyone understood my position (about the choice)," said the younger Sanders, wearing a black hat with the block Cardinal "S" on the front. "(Oklahoma State) made my family, and I thank them for it. I'll always have orange in my blood."

All commitments are unofficial until Feb. 1, the first day letters of intent can be signed.

FLORIDA COMMIT: In the same game, Florida landed a commitment from Shelby (N.C.) Crest High defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. The rivals.com five-star recruit also was considering South Carolina and Clemson.

PENN STATE'S NEW HIRE: Bill O'Brien introduced himself with two quick, no-nonsense sentences at his introductory news conference:

"I feel like I'm a mentally tough guy right now. I feel like I'm the right guy." And with that, O'Brien, the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator the past four years, began his first head coaching job.

"This is unbelievable," he said.

Until Nov. 9, the Nittany Lions had been directed by the same person for 46 seasons: Joe Paterno, fired that day in the aftermath of a child sex abuse scandal involving retired assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The case also forced the school president to resign, and the school faces federal, NCAA and Big Ten inquiries.

LATE FRIDAY: Joe Adams and Jarius Wright leave Arkansas 1-2 on the school's career catches list after leading the No. 7 Razorbacks past No. 11 Kansas State 29-16 in the Cotton Bowl in Arlington, Texas. Adams scored on a 51-yard punt return and Wright on a 45-yard catch as the Razorbacks tied a school record with 11 wins. "It's a huge deal for us," said Wright, tops with 168 catches (Adams has 164). "We always talked about winning 11 games."

OKLAHOMA STATE: Coach Mike Gundy agreed to a four-year contract extension through 2019, the Daily Oklahoman reported. Financial details had not been confirmed.

COMPASS BOWL: SMU had three first-quarter touchdowns, including one score passing and one running by quarterback J.J. McDermott, to beat Pittsburgh 28-6 in Birmingham, Ala.

DIVISION I-AA: Quarterback Brock Jensen threw for a touchdown and had a 1-yard keeper for a score as North Dakota State (14-1) beat top seed Sam Houston State (14-1) for its first I-AA national title, 17-6 in Frisco, Texas. NDSU won five Division II titles before moving up.

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

TODAY

GoDaddy.com Bowl

Who: Northern Illinois (10-3) vs. Arkansas State (10-2)

When/where: 9 p.m., Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.

TV/radio: ESPN; 1040-AM

Line: Arkansas State by 11/2

Notable: Northern Illinois' Chandler Harnish was the top rushing quarterback in Division I-A, averaging 106.3 yards per game, good for 18th overall. … David Gunn is the interim coach at Arkansas State; Hugh Freeze left to take the Mississippi job in December. Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn takes over after the game. … Arkansas State junior tight end Anthony Kincy went to Gibbs High.

Times wires

By Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 7, 2012

SPRING HILL — Springstead might have won its home tournament Saturday for the sixth time in a row, but the Eagles didn't have their usual parade of individual champions.

One season after getting eight wrestlers to the finals and crowning seven of them with gold, Springstead (248 points) only won five individual titles.

"We're not the team we were last year," Springstead assistant Sal Basile said, "but this is the most talented group of freshmen that I've ever coached."

Cody Ross (152 pounds) was clearly the best on the mat for the host team. His 23-9 major decision over Hernando's Jared Young gave him four titles here in four seasons.

The other champions were Josh Herrera (132), Sean Redman (145), Thomas Gupton (195) and John Dreggors (285). Besides Ross, only Dreggors had ever earned gold in the tournament before. This was the former national champion's third straight Springstead Invitational win as he pushed his record to 8-0 this season.

And there was another breakthrough performance from Nature Coast (161 points), with its runnerup finish. Saturday was the second time this season the Sharks were second behind the Eagles at a major tournament; the first time came at Hernando's Kiwanis Invitational last month.

"Our goal coming into this weekend was to finish second," Nature Coast coach Mike Lastra said. "The most important thing for us is to believe in ourselves and believe in what we preach."

What was even more impressive was that the Sharks walked away with two individual gold medals, one from Sean Nguyen (106) and the other from Mitch Lambert (160). Both won bouts against tough opponents. Nguyen dominated Springstead freshman Matt Landgraff in a 4-0 decision, and Lambert, the third seed coming in, knocked off Wesley Chapel state qualifier Nick Popolillo 5-3.

"Lambert wrestled great throughout this tournament," Lastra said. "He capitalized on other guys' mistakes, and that is what makes him dangerous."

After Nature Coast were Dunedin (151.5 points), Fivay (148) and Jesuit (133) in what many considered the deepest field the event has seen in years.

Three wrestlers who came in undefeated maintained those marks with Fivay's Nicco Lightfoot (20-0) and Mike Hahn (20-0), and Dunedin's Kyle Goodnow (26-0) all winning championships. Goodnow (170 pounds) was involved in the day's best match, a 4-3 decision over Springstead freshman Conor Ross.

Individual finals: 106 - Nguyen (NCT) dec Landgraff (SPR), 4-0. 113 - Malik (WAK) pin Roop (JES), 1:21. 120 - Swartsel (GUL) dec Arrington (DUN), 6-4. 126 - Patisaul (SCR) pin Rivera (SPR), 3:22. 132 - Herrera (SPR) dec Franklin (SPO), 6-5. 138 - Finneran (STC) dec Hinsey (WAK), 4-2. 145 - Redman (SPR) maj dec Bolesta (NCT), 11-1. 152 - Cod. Ross (SPR) maj dec Young (HER), 23-9. 160 - Lambert (NCT) dec Popolillo (WC), 5-3. 170 - Goodnow (DUN) dec Con. Ross (SPR), 4-3. 182 - Lightfoot (FIV) dec Taylor (WAK), 5-3. 195 - Gupton (SPR) dec Hill (HIL), 3-1 (OT). 220 - Hahn (FIV) dec Luth (DUN), 7-5. 285 - Dreggors (SPR) pin Jarque (NCT), 1:23.

Team standings: 1. Springstead 248, 2. Nature Coast 161, 3. Dunedin 151.5, 4. Fivay 148, 5. Jesuit 133, 6. Wakulla 127, 7. Gulf 79.5, 8. Hernando 72, 9. Strawberry Crest 68, 10. Wiregrass Ranch 57, 11. St. Cloud 55.5, 12. Wesley Chapel 53, 13. Chamberlain 47, 14. Hillsborough 46, 15t. Jefferson 42, 15t. Spoto 42, 15t. Freedom 42, 18. Land O'Lakes 39, 19. The Villages 32, 20. Central 21, 21. Weeki Wachee 0.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 7, 2012

MONTREAL — The Lightning entered its three-game road trip in Canada with a lot of momentum and hope.

It had won three in a row at home and had a chance to make up ground in the Eastern Conference against teams that were tied or ahead of the Lightning in postseason positioning.

But it all went for naught. Tampa Bay dropped its third consecutive game, 3-1 to the Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. The deflating defeat dropped the Lightning (17-20-3) to nine points out of the final playoff spot as it reached the midseason point.

"It's hard," goalie Mathieu Garon said. "We came on this trip, we wanted to get points, and the last two games we played decent hockey (the other was Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Senators), but we didn't get any."

The Lightning's second-period lapse Saturday cost it dearly.

Tampa Bay had gotten off to a strong start, including Vinny Lecavalier's goal just more than three minutes in. But Lecavalier said there seemed to be a momentum shift in the second period.

"It just seemed like we were making the same mistakes," Lecavalier said. "We weren't the team that we wanted to be."

The Canadiens took advantage, scoring twice in 1:33 early in the period, and they could have had more goals in the period if two hadn't been waived.

Wing Mike Blunden tied the score at 1 when, positioned near the crease, he corralled a shot from the point and backhanded it under the glove of Garon. Then, after Montreal goalie Carey Price made a momentum-swinging save on Marty St. Louis, Canadiens wing Max Pacioretty got behind the Lightning defense and ripped a shot from the right circle past Garon for a 2-1 lead.

Said Garon, "It seems like we do it every game. Every time we give up a goal, it seems like after that, we're vulnerable for a second one."

Defenseman Eric Brewer said the overall team defense needs to be better.

"Everything we give up is going in right now," Brewer said. "We're not giving up a ton of chances, we're giving up really good chances, not helping out goalies enough. And we're not scoring. It's not a very good combo."

When Lecavalier put the puck in the net right after the second-period buzzer sounded, Boucher quipped, "it sums up pretty much what's been happening."

The Lightning applied third-period pressure, but no matter the line combination, it couldn't crack Price. It continued its puzzling futility on the power play, failing on its lone attempt to make it 1-for-34 with the extra man in its past 10 road games. Montreal added a power-play goal with 17 seconds left.

"That's the NHL," Boucher said. "If you don't play 60 minutes, it doesn't matter who you are. It's not coming your way."

First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 15 (Moore, Brewer), 3:24. Penalties—Tyrell, TB (holding), 17:59.

Second Period—2, Montreal, Blunden 1 (Gill, Darche), 5:44. 3, Montreal, Pacioretty 12 (Subban), 7:17. Penalties—Plekanec, Mon (high-sticking), 1:57.

Third Period—4, Montreal, Cole 17 (Desharnais, Pacioretty), 19:43 (pp). Penalties—Bergeron, TB (hooking), 19:30. Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 8-9-7—24. Montreal 7-12-9—28. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 0 of 1; Montreal 1 of 2. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Garon 11-11-2 (28 shots-25 saves). Montreal, Price 15-14-7 (24-23).

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

NEW ORLEANS — Brad Wing told his friends back in Melbourne, Australia, to Google "Tiger Stadium." Jesse Williams tried to explain college football to his pals in Brisbane by describing Tuscaloosa, Ala., on an autumn Saturday.

"I wouldn't say crazy, that's a little mean," he said. "On another level, definitely."

For the first time in as long as anybody can remember — perhaps ever — two Australians have starring roles in the BCS championship on Monday when LSU meets Alabama.

Wing is the brassy freshman punter for the No. 1 Tigers, who gained some fame in America for having a touchdown run — yes, by a punter — against Florida wiped out by a celebration penalty. Williams is the mammoth (6 feet 4, 320 pounds) defensive tackle for the No. 2 Crimson Tide, a guy covered with tattoos and sporting a Mohawk who still puts people at ease.

They don't know each other, but they've earned quite a following back home, where American football is a novelty.

"I don't think it'll ever happen again," Wing said, "and I'm not sure if it's ever happened before. It's sort of a once-in-a-lifetime thing."

Wing's father, David, was a high-level Australian Rules football player and once tried out for the Detroit Lions as a punter. Later, some family friends in Baton Rouge, La., agreed to host the younger Wing for his final 11/2 years of high school.

"It wasn't easy as an 18-year-old to pick up and leave Australia, my brother and all my friends," Wing said. "But with the support I've gotten, it's been really good."

Williams played rugby and basketball in Brisbane, but was coaxed into football by a friend who played quarterback for a club team, the Bayside Ravens.

"He was a monstrous kid for a young fella, but a bit of a shy, gentle-giant-type," recalled Ravens coach Steve Box. "He hadn't played much contact sport, only really basketball, but it clicked."

After coming to America, Williams played a year at Arizona Western junior college, then at Alabama, though he admits he'd rather eat vegemite (an Aussie food paste) than barbecue.

"It's hard to explain that every weekend I play in front of 110,000 people," Williams said with a hefty shrug. "Some of my friends hardly believe what I do."

SHORT MEMORY: Cade Foster's three misses in Alabama's 9-6 loss to LSU in November were perhaps the most infamous kicks of the season. But the kicker has an affable, upbeat refrain to a steady succession of questions on the topic: He has moved on.

"I think the world breaks everyone at some point," the sophomore said. "Some are strong at those points and others are weak. If you're strong, you're going to persevere through it. … Until someone invents a time machine, I'm not going to worry about it because I can't do anything about it."

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Two Top 10 teams have made their way to the Rutgers Athletic Center this season. Both left with an "L."

Freshman Eli Carter continued his scoring streak with 19 points, and the Scarlet Knights defeated No. 8 Connecticut 67-60 Saturday night in coach Jim Calhoun's return from a three-game NCAA suspension.

Freshman Myles Mack added 14 points for Rutgers, which beat then-No. 10 Florida 85-83 in double overtime on Dec. 29.

"I'm pleasantly surprised. Shocked? No," Rutgers coach Mike Rice said. "This team has it in them. They're athletes. They're just inexperienced right now."

Connecticut (12-3, 2-2 Big East) had won 10 straight against Rutgers and 17 of their 18 Big East regular-season meetings.

"They more than earned the victory," Calhoun said. "Especially when you consider they are one of the younger teams in the country."

NO. 1 SYRACUSE 73, NO. 20 MARQUETTE 66: Kris Joseph had 17 points and the host Orange (17-0, 4-0 Big East) moved within two wins of matching its best start. The Tigers (12-4, 1-2) fell to 1-8 against top-ranked teams.

NO. 2 KENTUCKY 79, S.C. 64: Terrence Jones hit his first eight shots and finished with 20 points in the SEC opener for the host Wildcats (15-1).

NO. 3 UNC 83, BC 60: Harrison Barnes scored 25 for the host Tar Heels (14-2), who opened ACC play with their eighth straight victory.

NO. 4 BAYLOR 73, TEXAS TECH 60: Pierre Jackson scored 19 for the visiting Bears (15-0, 2-0 Big 12).

NO. 5 DUKE 81, GA. TECH 74: Ryan Kelly had 21 points in the ACC opener for the visiting Blue Devils (13-2), who avoided their first consecutive defeats since Feb. 11-15, 2009.

NO. 6 OHIO ST. 76, IOWA 47: Jared Sullinger scored a season-high 28 for the Buckeyes (15-2, 3-1 Big Ten), who won for the second time in four road games.

NO. 23 KANSAS ST. 75, NO. 7 MISSOURI 59: Rodney McGruder scored 20 for the host Wildcats (12-2, 1-1 Big 12), who led the Tigers (14-1, 1-1) by at least 12 the entire second half.

W. VA. 74, NO. 9 G'TOWN 62: The visiting Hoyas (13-2, 3-1 Big East) had no answer for the 1-2 punch of Kevin Jones and Truck Bryant and got little bench help as the Mountaineers ended their 11-game winning streak.

NOTRE DAME 67, NO. 11 L'VILLE 65, 2OT: Eric Atkins scored six in the second overtime to lift the Irish, who earned their first road win of the season by holding the Cardinals (13-3, 1-2 Big East) without a field goal in the second OT until Rakeem Buckles' tip-in at the buzzer.

NO. 14 KANSAS 72, OKLA. 61: Travis Releford scored 28 to set a career best for the second straight game for the visiting Jayhawks (12-3, 2-0 Big 12).

ARK. 98, NO. 15 MISS. ST. 88: Julyssses Nobles scored a career-high 24 as the host Razorbacks opened SEC play with an upset of the Bulldogs (13-3).

NO. 19 MURRAY ST. 87, AUSTIN PEAY 75: Isaiah Canaan had 35 points, including the first 16 for the visiting Racers (16-0, 4-0 OVC), who tied 1935-36 squad for the best start in school history.

NO. 21 VIRGINIA 52, MIAMI 51: Mike Scott had 23 points and the host Cavaliers (14-1) held off a rally by the Hurricanes (9-5) to win their ACC opener.

NO. 22 HARVARD 63, DARTMOUTH 47: Oliver McNally had 17 points and hit a 3-pointer during an 8-0 run that gave the host Crimson (13-2) the lead for good in its Ivy League opener.

NO. 25 GONZAGA 80, SANTA CLARA 58: Sam Dower scored 17 for the host Bulldogs (13-2, 3-0 West Coast), who won their eighth straight.

State

UCF 81, ECU 63: Isaiah Sykes had 20 points and 10 rebounds as the visiting Knights (12-3, 2-0 C-USA) won their fourth in a row.

ECKERD 74, ROLLINS 70, OT: Woody Taylor forced a turnover and sank a layup with 12 seconds left in overtime to clinch it for the visiting Tritons (8-4, 2-2 Sunshine State).

BARRY 80, TAMPA 73: The host Buccaneers hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final minute to hold off the Spartans (4-9, 0-4 SSC).

FLA. TECH 78, SAINT LEO 69: The host Panthers held off the Lions (7-6, 1-2 SSC) despite Trent Thomas' season-high 31 points.

Times staff, wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

Baseball

Yankees' posada will retire, reports say

NEW YORK — Jorge Posada is planning to retire after 17 seasons with the Yankees rather than pursue opportunities with other teams, according to media reports Saturday.

The five-time All-Star catcher, 40, has won five World Series titles with the team that drafted him in the 24th round in 1990. He became a free agent after the season, the final year of a four-year, $52 million deal. This offseason Posada acknowledged his career with the Yankees was over, but he said he had offers from several other teams.

Soccer

Dempsey scores 3 in FA Cup match

American Clint Dempsey scored his first hat trick in Fulham's 4-0 win over Charlton in the third round of England's FA Cup. It's believed to be the third hat trick by an American in a competitive league or FA Cup match for an English club, following John Kerr Jr. for Millwall against Derby in August 1994 and Chris Cleary for Worksop against Droylsden in FA Cup qualifying in October 2004.

Et cetera

Alpine skiing: Elisabeth Goergl ended American Lindsey Vonn's four-race unbeaten streak in speed events by winning a World Cup downhill at Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria. American Julia Mancuso was second, Vonn fourth.

Horses: Action Andy won the $60,000 Pelican, 3½ lengths ahead of Good Lord at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Ridden by Jesse Garcia, he paid $14 and clocked 6 furlongs in 1 minute, 9.58 seconds. It's Never to Late, the 8-5 favorite, was fifth. … Out of Bounds beat 1-2 favorite Secret Circle in the $100,000 Sham Stakes, the first Kentucky Derby prep race of the season, at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Speed skating: John-Henry Krueger and Lana Gehring won 1,500-meter titles at the U.S. short track meet in Kearns, Utah.

Tennis: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga beat Gael Monfils 7-5, 6-3 in the Qatar Open final at Doha. … Kaia Kanepi won 6-2, 6-1 over Daniela Hantuchova at the Brisbane International final in Australia. Andy Murray beat Bernard Tomic 6-3, 6-2 in the men's semis and faces third seed Alexandr Dol­gopolov, who beat No. 2 Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-4.

Greyhounds: McAllister kennel's Tiger Boy won the $8,000 St. Petersburg Inaugural at Derby Lane, covering 550 yards in 30.72 seconds and paying $4.20 for trainer Barbara McAllister. Kentucky Grace and Sovereign Beauty were next.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Times wires
Saturday, January 7, 2012

KAPALUA, Hawaii — Steve Stricker, considered the best putter on the PGA Tour, felt as though he couldn't miss Saturday at Kapalua. That meant big trouble for the rest of the field at the Tournament of Champions.

Stricker made even some longer putts look like tap-ins on his way to 10-under 63, giving him a five-shot lead over Webb Simpson halfway through the PGA Tour's season opener.

Stricker played the final five holes in 5 under, which included a 3-wood up the hill and into a blazing sun that settled about 12 feet away for eagle. That let Stricker get separation from Simpson, and from the amazing eagle-eagle finish by Kevin Na.

Stricker was at 15-under 131, two shots off the 36-hole record that Ernie Els set in 2003.

Na, six strokes back at 9 under, wasn't even part of the picture until he holed a 5-iron from 221 yards for eagle on the 554-yard 17th hole, then hit 3-wood down the hill on the par-5 18th to about 10 feet for another eagle.

"I think it'll be the best finish of my life," Na said.

It turned a good round into 64, and kept Na in the hunt against a 27-man field that suddenly felt much smaller when Stricker put together a strong finish of his own.

Only eight players were within 10 shots of Stricker.

Defending champion Jonathan Byrd, who led Friday after shooting 67, had 71 and was tied for fourth with Martin Laird (70) at 138, seven strokes behind Stricker.

Starting with a simple up-and-down on the par-5 ninth, Stricker was 7 under over the last 10 holes.

"I felt like I was going to make every putt I looked at for a while," Stricker said.

His run began with a wedge against the wind that landed 7 feet below the hole on No. 14. After eagle on No. 15, Stricker holed a 15-foot birdie from the front of the green on the 17th, and finished with a long two-putt birdie from just off the 18th. He has played the par 5s in 9 under for the week.

EUROPEAN: Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen birdied three of his final four holes for 6-under 67 to share the third-round lead at the Africa Open in East London, South Africa. He and Tjaart van der Walt (65) were at 21-under 198, one shot ahead of 2009 winner and two-time U.S. Open champ Retief Goosen (66).

By Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Saturday, January 7, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — Randy Shuman kept a poker face after his team's victory at the Northeast Shootout on Saturday night.

Boca Ciega's defense was merciless against Admiral Farragut, cruising to a 62-43 victory, and Shuman seemed content with the progress his team has made over the last couple of weeks.

"We're finally starting to put some things together," Shuman said. "It's pretty much an all new group for us this year, and we're trying to experiment and figure out what works best for us.

"The last couple of games we've been doing a lot better with the pressure defense."

Pressure is a bit of an understatement as Boca Ciega (7-8) forced 24 turnovers and held Admiral Farragut (7-6) to its lowest point total of the season.

Boca Ciega guard Dallas Moore was providing pressure on both ends of the floor. He had two steals himself and was involved in a few more. The Pirates hassled the Blue Jackets on inbounds plays and set traps throughout the court.

"We're doing better as a team, and we're doing a much better job communicating," said Moore, who finished with a game-high 28 points. "At the beginning of the year we didn't have any chemistry, and now we're starting to get it and just connect with each other."

Moore got the Pirates momentum going, scoring 14 first-quarter points and leading his team on a 15-1 run to end that quarter. Boca Ciega never trailed after the first.

"We're not trying to look ahead; we're not trying to look behind. Just focusing on the future," Moore said.

Lakewood (10-2) defeated Tampa Catholic (10-4) 65-53 in the first game of the Shootout. Jacobi Boykins led the Spartans with 19 points.

Palm Harbor University (6-12) ran away with a 51-33 victory over Dixie Hollins (0-10) in the following game. And host Northeast (7-8) outlasted Sunlake (5-7) 70-57 in the final contest of the night.